tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58805414386955156902024-03-12T18:58:28.834-04:00Annie Bebop's Coloring BookCross stitch and other fun stuffAnniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03509728430110361806noreply@blogger.comBlogger367125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5880541438695515690.post-44388424739520072452019-07-08T16:07:00.001-04:002019-07-09T13:47:32.475-04:00May-JulyAnd now to bring us into July.<br />
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This is another male birthday card. The guy with the birthday collects glassware sets with pitchers. So I think this works well for him. I'm not sure where I found this. Probably in a magazine at some point.<br />
Stitched on 28-ct twilight mist Jobelan over 2. <br />
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This one is for me. I've wanted to do "A Stitcher's House" by Stone Street Stitchworks for some time. It's on Vintage Country Mocha 32 count linen. I love how this door hanger turned out. The colors are even prettier in person.<br />
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Here's a fun birthday card for a June 10th birthday. I modified Heart
In Hands Square Dance for June. I loved the result. Again on Vintage
Country Mocha 32 count, apparently my new favorite. I enclosed a Baskin-Robbins gift card since it went so well with the theme. <br />
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Another finish for me using 32 count Vintage Country Mocha Belfast. This is The Floss Box design, "Autumn Mandala". It's an oldie that I saw stitched up online somewhere and took a liking to it. I would never have known how cute it was if I hadn't seen it completed. The pattern was only a graph with no photo of a finished model.<br />
Makes a cute mat as a resting spot for my glasses, keys, whatever.<br />
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I made another cute coin purse gift. <span title="Edited">This is a modified version of the Black Hearted Queen freebie from SubRosa Designs. The chart is still available on her blog <b><a href="http://e-subrosa.blogspot.com/2014/10/ingyenes-minta-free-pattern.html">here</a></b>. The red dress idea was
someone else's color change that I adopted. The wording change was my
brain child. Less border too. Love my little heart charm zipper pull. This is on 32 ct summer khaki
linen over 2. Zipper pull charm from Creative
Kinyobi on Etsy.</span><br />
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Finally, we have a last minute July 4th card stitched on 36 count summer khaki Edinburgh linen. This is the "Liberty" mini-cat freebie from Lynn at Happiness is Cross Stitching. Michael's made my job easy with those nice shiny star stickers and the star sequins jumped out at me in a local variety store.<br />
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Click <b><a href="https://happinessiscrossstitching.blogspot.com/2019/06/freebie-friday-american-liberty-mini-cat.html">here</a></b><br />
for the chart. <br />
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<br />Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03509728430110361806noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5880541438695515690.post-11758155369474496132019-07-08T15:38:00.000-04:002019-07-08T15:38:29.718-04:00March/April St. Pat's Candy Box and PS cardOn to March-April. <br />
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I've always liked this Bent Creek Snap Happy St. Pat's design. I have a friend who is a 'clover whisperer'. I've never seen someone who can so easily spot 4 leaf clovers. She deserved a little gift so I made her this candy box with the design mounted on top. And for good measure, I enclosed some Andes mints and added the crocheted shamrock on the inside lid. Stitched on 28 count Cashel over 2. <br />
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The next was card was done after another search for a suitable 'boy' design. This is Prairie Schooler's "Weather Wise" made into a birthday card. Stitched 2 over 2 on 32 count MCG white linen. I'm kind of sorry they went out of business. Not the worlds greatest linen, but I liked it. Got a bit creative after reviewing Pinterest ideas for a craft life preserver. I used a plastic craft ring wrapped with red floss and I was very happy with the result. I doubt if the recipient paid much attention to it, but it's all about the doing for me.<br />
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<br />Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03509728430110361806noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5880541438695515690.post-8109230975223709232019-07-08T15:29:00.001-04:002019-07-08T15:29:13.172-04:00February catch-up - Valentine card and tin, birthday card , coin purseCatch up post for the record. I have a couple more to add after this one. I know it's July, but I haven't posted for some time. These are my February finishes. <br />
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This sweet little Valentine card is from the book, "A Rainbow of Stitches" book. Done on 36 count linen over 2 with DMC 4210.<br />
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My brother's birthday is in February. He's a sucker for Marie Callendar Pumpkin Pie. I went online and discovered there was, in fact, a real Marie Callendar and there was even a picture of her as a young women. This card is a tribute to her using a modified Sub Rosa Design, "Pumpkin Pie". Esther herself laughed at a pumpkin pie as big as the table. I was sure my brother would get a kick out of it. Frankly, he was not amused. Ya can't win 'em all. Stitched on Belfast summer khaki over 2.<br />
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The next one is an old freebie by Drawn Thread, "All You Need Is Love", stitched on 32 ct Belfast summer khaki. Perfect Altoid tin top size and I hadn't made a tin top in some time. Filled with red berry flavored lip gloss before presenting as a 'Galentine' to a friend.<br />
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And wrapping up the month, I used an adaptation of Snowflower Diaries "You Make Me Happy" as the basis for this little coin purse. Found an Etsy seller, CreativeKinyobi, with tons of charms already attached to a lobster clasp and this little mermaid charm worked perfectly. Another piece on 32 count summer khaki Belfast.<br />
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<br />Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03509728430110361806noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5880541438695515690.post-86244533555226410112019-02-16T18:26:00.000-05:002019-02-16T18:26:11.433-05:00Candy box, snowmen cards, sling bagCatch-up post for the record from 2018. I'll do another soon with this year's entries.<br />
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First was a cute little candy box for a hostess gift. I used Mary Garry's Skating Party with some color changes to blues that I'd seen on the web by other stitchers. This is done on Edinburgh linen, 36 ct summer khaki. Had to go blue because I had the pretty blue ribbon that was looking for a home!<br />
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This is just the cutest little snowman from an old Stoney Creek magazine. The magazine showed it on black fabric, but my eyes don't work well with that. So I settled on Belfast Smokey Pearl 32 ct and crossed my fingers that the black shading around the edges would look ok. I was totally pleased with this one. The recipient of the card loved it too.<br />
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This card was done for a friend as an inside joke. We have had some discussions about the <a href="http://Stanford marshmallow experiment">Stanford Marshmallow Experiment</a>. When I saw this litte marshmallow head snowman cupcake in the "Festive Frostings" feature of the Nov., 2018 issue of "CrossStitcher", I knew it was perfect for my friend's holiday card. The design is by Maria Diaz. Stitched on 36 count linen.</div>
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I've had the pattern for Niky's Creations "Numbers" forever. I thought I was going to use it for a baby sampler at some point, but that never happened. So I stitched it up and made it into a little sling bag. The one I had been using with the peacocks finally wore out. Stitched on 32 count MCG linen. Cheap linen with a good heft for a bag. I've been using it ever day since I stitched it.<br />
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So that brings us into 2019. Stay tuned for more current work.Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03509728430110361806noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5880541438695515690.post-1678027031114879262018-11-23T14:18:00.002-05:002018-11-23T14:18:43.618-05:00Halloween, Birthday and Get Well cardsTime for an end of fall stitching summary. I forget about this blog since I post my finishes on IG, but the Thanksgiving holiday gave me some time to think about it! <br />
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First up is "Checkers the Pumpkin" an old Pam Kellogg freebie from Kreinik that you can still get <b><a href="http://www.kreinik.com/shops/Checkers-The-Pumpkin.html">here</a></b>. I stitched it all in DMC, no beads, on 36 ct linen 2 over 2. He's a jolly little guy and I don't know why it took so many years for me to get around to stitching him.<br />
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I love the new little bowl top designs by Heart in Hand. This is "Hocus Pocus Halloween", used for a card, not a bowl, but it works well for this purpose. I like the addition of funky stitckers to the funky pumpkin. <br />
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Although I tend to shy away from heavy back-stitching, I coudn't resist this Durene Jones freebie, "Happy Harvest". It's done on 32 ct Lugana. I sent it out somewhat before Halloween since it's more a fall design than a Halloween one.<br />
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The design is on FB and I don't think you need to be a member to access this link: <br />
<b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/DureneJonesCrossStitch/photos/a.1986769818242689/2190308467888822/?type=3&theater">Free Chart</a></b><br />
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Here's another pattern that's been on my to-do list for years and I think it's ideal for a birthday card. It's by Veronique Enginger from "Mode d'Hier et D'aujourd'hui au Point de Croix" and stitched on light blue 36 ct linen. Of course I wrote "Happy Birthday and all that jazz" as the inside sentiment. The recipient loved it as I suspected she would. It's a very clever design, don't you think?<br />
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A friend of mine took a fall recently and it ended in a very bad broken wrist. I had this design stitched up and waiting for the right time to use it. It became a get well card in a wink. The pattern is from "<span class="st"><span class="f"></span>Douce Méditerranée<em>" </em>and is a freebie on the Art du Fil FB page. You can get it <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ArtduFILMangoFleurus/photos/a.210261059005143/2028594523838445/?type=3&theater">here</a></b>.<br /><em></em></span></div>
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<br />Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03509728430110361806noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5880541438695515690.post-71090675015529804752018-09-11T08:23:00.002-04:002018-09-11T08:23:26.288-04:00Birthday and Get Well cards and a Coin PurseI just noticed that this draft post had been sitting around waiting to be published. The two cards I stitched recently both went to the same person. He had some health problems so I made him a get well card. He's doing much better now, but I don't think my card was the reason. And then his birthday came along shortly afterward.<br />
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For the get well card, I used a design I had waiting in the wings that I had stitched a while ago just because I liked the design. I figured it would come in handy at some point. This was one of the blocks from the 2014 Sampler Life SAL. The original artist is Raquel Blasco of Maggi Co's Village. I think the cross stitch adaptation might be by Nathalie Cichon of "Jardin Privé".<br />
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You can still get the blocks for this sampler on the FB group "The Sampler Life". Each block is by a different designer.<br />
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I did this over-one on Monaco, so it's especially cute in that tiny format. My over-one stitching days are pretty much behind me. I don't know what possessed me to do this. But I find that it is easier on Monaco than on any other fabric.<br />
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I may decide to stitch more of Raquel Blasco's designs. I'm drawn to that style. <br />
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I always take a look at the latest CrossStitcher magazine because it's one that I can check out from our local library as an e-magazine. I rarely find anything that grabs me though. But the August, 2018 issue had a set of four ice cream sundaes that immediately caught my eye. I stitched up my favorite of the set and I think it made a pretty cute birthday card. The colors, especially on the dish, worked up somewhat different from the photo in the mag, but I do like the way they pop on that 36 count "Dirty" linen.<br />
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I stitched up a little coin purse for a friend who has done some favors for me recently. This is a section of Little House Needleworks "Liberty Belles" on 36 ct linen. I re-worked the placement of the motifs to make it fit the space. The threads are all DMC. I'm still working on the best way to do those top zippers. I've read a billion tutorials and watched tons of videos, but it's like looking for the perfect taco in Tom Robbins' "Jitterbug Perfume". This one didn't come out too bad though. Reducing bulk in the corners is the tricky part. I added a zipper pull from a Moonraker Lampwerks bead to jazz it up a bit.. <br />
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<br />Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03509728430110361806noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5880541438695515690.post-91608291529040167482018-08-09T18:34:00.003-04:002018-08-09T18:34:57.545-04:00Fun little projectsSo, I always stuff my small pillow-type finishes with orts (i.e. thread clippings). Takes a long time to accumulate enough of them for even a tiny piece. They pack down so much! But I had a nice little bag of them save up, I decided to make a little pin cushion from this old Prairie Schooler freebie, "Stick it Here". It's stitched on 28 ct over 2 on Cashel linen. The trim came from my friend <a href="http://creativeworkshopsfromhetti.blogspot.com/">Hetti</a>, who graciously sent me a bag of stitchy goodies. Such a funny little design!<br />
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For some time I had wanted to stitch "Sweeping The Garden" by Barbara Ana. This design was in the Fall, 2017 issue of Punch Needle and Primitive Stitching. I never quite knew what I would do with it, but I fnally thought a little zippered case/coin purse would be just the thing. This is on 36 ct Edinburgh linen over 2. I really should have stuck with putting the zipper near the top, on the side. It's so much easier. But I like getting things in and out of the case better when the zipper is on top. This is a little gift for a friend and the mouse design was perfect for her.. an inside joke between the two of us.<br />
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I recently noticed an empty mini-box of Russell Stover Valentine's Day chocolates lying around when I was searching for something completely different. I had saved it with the intention of doing a heart-shaped stitched box top, but you know how that goes. Never got around to it. But I remembered the "Mary Valentine's Handework" designs by With Thy Needle and Thread and I knew there was a perfect design for this in that set. This is on 36 ct Summer Khaki Edinburgh. I used my own color conversions to DMC. And the mini pom pom trim is again, courtesy of Hetti. Pretty easy to put together. I gave this to my cousin who has just opened her own micro-hair salon and recently had an open-house party to celebrate.<br />
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<br />Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03509728430110361806noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5880541438695515690.post-67495445166617911652018-06-29T11:46:00.000-04:002018-06-29T15:06:26.002-04:00Gardener Threadkeep, Coffee Coaster, Uncle SamSometimes a design just calls out to me to be stitched. This one, Blackbird Designs Garden Club #9, "The Gardener", was one of those. Maybe it's because BBD does not usually put a human figure in their designs. I can't think of any other that does, but I'm sure I haven't seen them all. I decided to turn this into a little thread keep for our blogging friend <a href="http://stitchingdream.blogspot.com/">Carol</a>. I discovered that JoAnn's sells those plastic rings in a number of sizes which makes it very convenient to select the right thing. I think this is 32 count Jobelan or Lugana.<br />
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Another design that called out my name for some stitch therapy was this cute coffee design from Stone Street Stitchworks called "Coffee Corner". You can find it in their Etsy shop. There are two versions on the pattern, one in red with a December holiday theme, and the one I stitched that is kind of all-season. Finished into a little mat/coaster because I couldn't think of anything else. This is stitched on 36 ct linen from my seemingly endless pile of HDF linen.<br />
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I saw this adorable freebie from Annie Beez Folk Art, <a href="http://anniebeez.blogspot.com/2018/06/free-chart-for-patriotic-stitches.html">"Uncle Sam Rides a Crow"</a>, and I really wanted to stitch up the center motif. It always makes me a little queasy to see a crow with an Uncle Sam, so I played with the chart to turn the crow into an eagle. Kind of looks like an odd-colored pigeon now, but in context, I think it passes as an eagle. I think it makes a cute July 4th card with the addition of the stickers too. This is done on another scrap of 36 ct HDF linen.<br />
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Next project will be on 28 ct over 2 to give my eyes a rest!Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03509728430110361806noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5880541438695515690.post-68875846957813224162018-05-30T13:58:00.004-04:002018-05-30T13:58:54.960-04:00Spring assortment et al.If you follow me on IG, you will have seen all of this stitching. But here is a summary of finishes since my last post. <br />
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Spring took a long time to show up this year, and we were all happy to see its arrival, wet as it has been. I stitched this cute Spring welcome card to send in honor of the season change. It's a freebie by Silver Cute Dwarf and you can get the chart <a href="http://silvercutedwarf.blogspot.com/2014/03/spring.html">here</a>. It's on 36 count linen and uses a few beads for the flowers. <br />
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My niece took a vacation to Paris this spring and I stitched this Bon Voyage card for her. The original design had Notre Dame in the the upper right. I found a nice little charted Arc De Triomphe online somewhere that I liked better, so I substituted it. Although my niece did not take her dog with her, she does have a little dog like the one in the design. The design is from the DMC Europe SAL and you can get the chart <a href="http://www.oblogdadmc.com/2017/07/viagem-pela-europa-com-dmc-paris_24.html">here</a>. I used 18 count Aida for this. Hadn't stitched on Aida is quite some time!<br />
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I needed a 'boy' birthday design so I searched for something nautical. I found this cute ship in a bottle by La Comtesse et le Point De Croix. You can get the chart <a href="http://lacontesselepointdecroix.blogspot.com/2017/08/goodbye-summer.html">here</a>. I had planned to use an old vintage world map in the background, but the map I had was too big. So I just hunted through my folder of stickers for some 'sea' things. Then I got the bright idea to cut the opening in the shape of the bottle and I think that worked out pretty well. This is on 36 count linen also. Neither of these two photos shows the real colors, but that's the best I could do. I incorporated the words 'Smooth Sailing' on the inside greeting after seeing something like that elsewhere on line.<br />
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I started Plum Street Samplers "Turkey Bay" about a year ago just for stress relief at the time. I needed something colorful and easy to stitch. Didn't care if I ever finished it. Eventually I did complete the stitching, but only now turned it into a pillow. It's done on HDF Old Gray Mare 32 count linen. A simple finish, but I'm very happy with it.<br />
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Another design that I stitched a while ago, but just finished is "Honey Bee", number 3 in the Blackbird Designs Garden Club series. I'm just using this as a little mat on which to rest my glasses, keys, remote, whatever. It's on 32 count lambs wool Jobelan if I remember correctly.<br />
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Happy Stitching to all as we head into June!Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03509728430110361806noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5880541438695515690.post-53377097906827726722018-03-27T18:40:00.003-04:002018-03-27T18:40:47.565-04:00Tea Keeper, Baby Sampler, Candy BoxSo as March winds down, I have three finishes to show. Cold and windy weather meant more time staying inside I think. First we have "The Tea Keeper" by Kathy Barrick. I loved this design from the moment I saw it when it was only available as a club piece, a club for which I am not a member. But good things come to those who wait and the chart finally became available to the general public.<br />
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I love the stern expression on this woman's face. "Don't mess with my tea", she says. But I definitely was not in the mood for another alphabet. Somehow I remembered a Silver Creek Sampler that used a line from the song, "Do Re Mi", and I decided to use that line here where it was very appropriate. So I stitched "Tea" across the top and "A drink with jam & bread" down the sides. Bet you wouldn't have noticed if I didn't bring it up. The fabric is 36 count Summer Khaki Edinburgh linen over 2. It's all done in DMC with just a few color changes. I also added the little teapot on the top to fill in the blank space left after my re-working of the pattern. A pinkeep was the quickest finish for me. Just added black mini-rick rack anchored with beads and straight pins. It's happily sitting on the table where I work.<br />
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I have a new baby cousin born on Valentine's Day! What a fun day to celebrate one's birthday every year. I stitched an old sweet little alphabet freebie by Vavi for him. You can get it <b><a href="http://vavipetitmonde.free.fr/grillesgratuites2010.html">here</a></b>. Just scroll down to 'Cocooning' at the bottom of the page. She charted several variations of this piece. I modified it to replace the many flowers with animal motifs and one key. I picked 3 DMC colors in a 'boy' palette. <br />
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Easy door hanger finish with a little batting, backing and rick rack edging. The back is a darker blue and white polka dot fabric that complements the ribbon hanger. I forgot to take a photo of the back. The fabric is 28 count Cashel linen over 2 in some off-whitish color.<br />
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Oh yea.. one pink lion charm to cover-up the mistake I made in the rick rack edging. <br />
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I've lately had the honor and stitcher-tunity to make something for a friend who recently got sworn in as a U.S. citizen. I wanted a patriotic design, but not too patriotic. I picked "Hat's Off to Uncle Sam" by Blackbird Designs which seemed to fit the bill perfectly. It is stitched with DMC on 32 count MCG linen over 2. Once I had stitched it, I scoured the grocery store shelves for a container that would be the right size for me to use as a candy box with the stitching adorning the top. Trader Joe's to the rescue! They had the perfect round tin of chocolate wedges. I'd never done a round box top finish before, but a little running stitch for gathering and clipping the fabric curves made it easy to do correctly. I love this little finish and I hope my friend does as well.<br />
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<br />Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03509728430110361806noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5880541438695515690.post-40616943036603486172018-02-14T00:30:00.000-05:002018-02-14T00:30:19.675-05:00Valentines and Birthday Card<br />
Time for a Valentine's day post! Every year I send a Valentine's card to one family I know because they take that day very seriously! They send out Valentines the way other people send out holiday cards in December. Plus their cards are all hand designed. This year I stitched the little roses design, "Petite Coeur" from Atalie. It's done on 36 ct beige Edinburgh, 2 over 2. Who knew that I could still see well enough to do that?<br />
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And here is the cute Valentine I received from my heart-loving friends. Look at all the cool things she wrote....</div>
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Then I accidentally came across a Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery design from their Pen Pals Series. Just too darn cute and I had to stitch it up! This is stitched on 18 ct Dusk Aida from Sassy, a small scrap of fabric in my stash from a long time ago. I sent it to my niece who was very appreciative.</div>
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Some time ago, I stitched up Isabelle Vautier's "Pause Cafe" on 36 ct over 2 Dirty Edinburgh linen. It sat unfinished in a drawer. But as Valentine's day approached, I felt the need to do something with it. I made this quilty style mat to use as a big coaster or whatever. Tricky to get that rick rack sewn correctly, but good enough for me. Sent that to my brother and SIL as a little Valentine surprise.<br />
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My brother's birthday is a week after Valentine's Day. This year I made him a nice piece of chocolate cake from Lizzie Kate"s "Birthday Blessings" on 16 ct caramel evenweave from Sassy. I think he will like that I didn't try to stitch in all the candles! <br />
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And did you hear that Lizzie Kate is retiring? I guess she deserves a rest after all the designs she has produced over the years. She will be missed, but there are plenty of her designs around to remind us of her.<br />
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Hope your Valentine's Day is filled with love an all good things!Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03509728430110361806noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5880541438695515690.post-3758998403999498442017-12-25T11:37:00.003-05:002017-12-25T11:37:54.259-05:00Holiday Stitching <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Long time, no post. So here's a wrap-up of the as yet un-documented stitching, more or less in order of completion.<br />
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The first is "Kitten Mitten", a Cricket Collection freebie you can get <a href="http://www.cecricket.com/webgraph41.pdf">here</a>. That kitten actually looked like a bear to me. I just did a quick finish by sewing on a backing and blanket stitching around the edge. Not a favorite of mine now, but it got the urge to stitch it out of me. <br />
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Next we have "Happy Snowman", a freebie from Shepherd's Bush that you can get <a href="https://www.shepherdsbush.net/shop/Shepherds-Bush-Designs/Free-patterns.htm">here</a>. It's done on Cornflower Blue 28 count Jobelan over-2. I expected this to be made into a card, but when I completed the stitching, I realized it was a perfect size for an Altoid tin top. So another one of those under my belt and it does make a cute gift for this time of year.<br />
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For whatever reason, I really wanted to stitch Blackbird Designs "Be Mine". I suppose it had been on my list for years, but I don't know why it suddenly rose to the top. Anyway it's done on 36 count over-2 Vikki Linen. I used all DMC and adjusted the colors a little bit. Then I added the little crocheted flower for a bit of interest. I sort of followed an old tutorial of Vonna's on the wayback machine to construct it. Her tute showed sewing the lining on by hand, but I did it by machine. We both left the top open and just folded the top edge down inside the stocking. So a very rough finish and not meant to hold any treats. Just a decorative ornament. I'm quite taken with this finish.<br />
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I had always planned to stitch a few of the Brookes Books Advent Calendar Animals. This Polar Bear was a clear favorite. I was planning to make this into an ornament for a friend, but that never happened. I did need a card at the last minute though and this little guy filled the bill. This is done on a pre-cut tri-fold window card. <a href="http://stitchingdream.blogspot.com/">Carol</a> was kind enough to send me some cardmaking supplies a while back and this one really came in handy to do a quick finish.<br />
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Finally, I was going through some old magazines and discovered "Winter Walk" by The Little Stitcher from the Feb, 2014 issue of JCS. I took out the bottom border and omitted one tree to make this card-sized. Finished it up this morning to replenish the stock pile!<br />
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Seasons Greetings to everyone!<br />
<br />Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03509728430110361806noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5880541438695515690.post-63370415521216179292017-10-21T08:59:00.000-04:002017-10-21T11:43:39.867-04:00Manic Mushroom, Halloween and Birthday CardSo I was once again totally charmed by Fairy Wool in the Wood. I'm so pleased that a newer, fun designer like Cassandra had some good exposure in the Oct, 2017 issue of JCS. I almost immediately grabbed a needle when I saw this "Manic Mushroom" Halloween ornament design. It's quirky like all of her designs. I hope you can see the expression on the face of that large mushroom after he has discovered that he's destined for the dinner table.<br />
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This is stitched on 32 count linen over-two. I finished it up as a pouch for a 6" embroidery hoop. The backing fabric is the same as the bottom fabric. It's lined as all mine are and has a snap closure in the inside center. Turned out pretty good for me.. less wonky than some. <br />
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Durene Jones shares a freebie on her FB page every Friday. For some reason, this particular one caught my eye, even though the heavily back-stitched designs that are so popular in the UK are not to my taste so much these days. This is called "Pumpkin Boy", but I think of this as a female character. When I wrote a message on the inside of the card, I referred to her as "Pumpkinette". I think I liked the way those vines twisted around her arms giving some kind of feather boa effect. I wasn't sure I loved her after the stitching was complete, but the card showed her off and it's in the mail. This is stitched over-two on 28 count Summer Khaki Cashel linen... easy on the eyes!<br />
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I think <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pg/DureneJonesCrossStitch/photos/?ref=page_internal">THIS LINK</a> will take you to Durene's photos, with this chart included, even though you may not be FB member, but I'm not sure.<br />
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I needed a birthday card for an early November birthday girl. I send a stitched card to this person every year and it gets harder each time to think of something different to stitch. This time I selected a snippet from the free design, <a href="http://thesnowflowerdiaries.blogspot.hu/2013/10/pattern-for-cathey.html">Snowflower Diaries Pumpkins for Cathey. </a><br />
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I'm not usually a fan of yellow, but it worked out well for this card I think. It's stitched over-2 on 32 count linen. <br />
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<br />Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03509728430110361806noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5880541438695515690.post-62333648370812032072017-09-24T07:33:00.000-04:002017-09-24T07:33:03.547-04:00Assorted CardsAnd the cross-stitch card machine rolls on. Quick stitching, quick finishing. About all I can handle during this time.<br />
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First up is this thank you card using a modification of Snowflower Diaries <a href="http://thesnowflowerdiaries.blogspot.hu/search?updated-max=2014-03-09T20:08:00%2B01:00&max-results=7&start=14&by-date=false">"You are so Loved".</a> <br />
Basically I just took a partial chunk of the design to fit in the card space. Her designs always look better in the hand-dyed threads she chose, but DMC is so much more convenient that I rarely go in for hand-dyeds.<br />
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Next we have a fang-tastic vampire duo from the Etsy shop "Crafty Like A Fox". Easy stitching with no back-stitch and limited color palette. Perfect for the couple who will be receiving it. It seems that a lot of Etsy sellers are adopting this kind of modern look to their designs. They seem to have that millennial, minimalist vibe.<br />
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Unfortunately, only a few months after the death of one of my beloved mentors and former employers, another friend/mentor/former employer passed away. I used another "Dear Rine" motif for a condolence card. I hope I don't have reason to make any more these anytime soon.</div>
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I totally forgot to anticipate a friend's upcoming birthday so I did some diving into completed but not 'finish-finished' designs to see what I could cobble together at the last minute. This little design from "Cat's Whiskers" by Janie Hubble filled the bill. So tiny that I added some fabric trim. The birthday boy was very appreciative.</div>
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And finally one more Halloween card that expresses my current state of mind. This is "Just Batty" by Lizzie Kate, another very quick stitch. I used seed beads for the boot buttons. Seemed more proportionate. The pretty brown and orange side ribbon and the adorable felt pumpkin sticker were given to me by our dear stitcher friend Carol of <a href="http://stitchingdream.blogspot.com/">Stitching Dreams</a> fame. They were party of package she sent me that included assorted card making supplies and a cute note pad with matching stitcky notes. Stitching friends are the best!</div>
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<br />Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03509728430110361806noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5880541438695515690.post-89279812161418129952017-08-19T11:12:00.000-04:002017-08-19T11:12:08.575-04:00Thank you cardsAnd my thank you card production continues for all those who have helped me out lately. This sweet one is a design by L R De Rien. It was a complete pleasure to stitch. I stitched it on 32 ct Jobelan over-2 and misjudged its final size since I usually do 36 ct over-2. The 36 ct fabric is rapidly becoming a thing of the past for me as my eyes are rebelling and I don't want to be bothered with magnifiers and such. At any rate, I made a larger card and decided to go 'square' just for fun. Stopped by the post office for special over-size envelope stamps and I was good to go on this one.<br />
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Next was a sweet quickie (although not so quick at the rate I've been stitching lately). This design is Shepherds Bush "Come Home", again on 32 count Jobelan over 2. Gave me an opportunity to do one more 'rustic' (euphemism for 'a 4-year old could have cut-out a nicer heart shape') heart window.<br />
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And hot off the needles, I made a modified version of the Heart in Hand, August Joyful Journal. This was stitched on 32ct Lugana in Summer Khaki. Love that color
because white shows up so well, but it seems like they don't make it
anymore. I found this lone piece on E-bay.<br />
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The "One bite" substitution for the original "August" refers to the poem/song, "Melinda Mae and the Whale" by Shel Silverstein. The theme is tackling large problems one step at a time. I'm in the midst of tackling large problems and I find the poem inspirational. <br />
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<br />Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03509728430110361806noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5880541438695515690.post-52589724537617779702017-07-09T08:18:00.000-04:002017-07-09T08:18:48.184-04:00Tea and Cake, Band Sampler & Condolence CardSo this is a catch-up post. Blogging has taken a real back-seat these days as it has with many others. Actually, I just like it to record my projects.<br />
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Lakeside Needlecrafts recently sponsored a 6-week free SAL designed by Durene Jones. It was hosted on their <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/lakesideneedlecraft/">Facebook Group</a>. The theme was "Tea and Cake". The fun part of these mystery SAL's is anticipating each installment and seeing everyone's interpretation with varying threads, fabric and design adaptations. This is not a design I would have chosen to stitch otherwise, but the process was fun. I kept up on time through part 4. And then life interfered. But I finally completed it and made it into a large coaster or small mat yesterday.<br />
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It is stitched on 28 ct Jobelan over-2. The fabric color is "Twilight Mist". The threads are the DMC suggestions except for the border where I used Carrie's Mardi Gras cotton floss.<br />
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I changed the wording a little also.<br />
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A close colleague, friend and mentor passed away recently. I made this little condolence card for the family using a motif from the "Dear Rine" sampler SAL. This is another free SAL hosted on the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/1312129868847108/">Dear Rine FB group</a>. I'm not really doing that SAL, but some of these circular animal designs are quite charming and useful when you need a small generic design. </div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pnlHS1-M-mM/WWIZhipgfxI/AAAAAAAADY0/hqj19P_EM2QpBLkG5V9eNdLba1hUmb82gCLcBGAs/s1600/DearRineCondolenceCar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pnlHS1-M-mM/WWIZhipgfxI/AAAAAAAADY0/hqj19P_EM2QpBLkG5V9eNdLba1hUmb82gCLcBGAs/s400/DearRineCondolenceCar.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I also decided to so some of <a href="http://kittyandmedesigns.blogspot.com/p/never-ending-sampler-stitch-along.html">Pam Kellogg's Never-Ending Band Sampler SAL</a>. I don't think I ever stitched a band sampler, so I wanted to see what I had been missing. This is another free SAL with a Facebook group, but the patterns are all on Pam's Blog. I started with the second panel and did half of it. Each panel is about 18" long on 28 count over-2 fabric. I enjoyed doing this, but half a panel was about all I wanted to do before I wanted to move on. This on a light beige Jobelan fabric. I don't know if I will ever do anything with this piece, but I enjoyed it. </div>
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The patterns are all black and white so everyone chooses their own colors. Stitchers on the FB group have shown some lovely color choices. I had no idea what I was doing, color-wise. I just jumped in and decided colors as I went along.</div>
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Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03509728430110361806noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5880541438695515690.post-53545740908586789702017-04-26T18:05:00.001-04:002017-04-26T18:05:54.731-04:00Octagon, Ghost Carrots, and Joyful World SAL Finish!Had a flurry of stitchy energy in the last few weeks. My eyes are feeling better and I'm feeling better in general after some much needed meds finally kicked in and did their job. I'm showing photos that have been on FB and IG, but I know not everyone sees those and besides, I like to have the chronological record that blogging provides.<br />
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First up is this adorable four seasons freebie design from Lori Brechlin of <a href="http://farmhousenotforgotten.blogspot.com/">Notforgotten Farm</a>. She gave this to the members of the FB Primitive Stitchers Society. The original had red and white striped candy canes for winter, but I substituted a teacup with steam rising from it. That little motif is courtesy of one of the <a href="http://thelittlestitcher.blogspot.com/2012/03/tea-time.html">Little Stitcher's</a> designs. I decided to try and bind this in an octagon shape. I almost ruined the piece in the process, but did manage to rescue it. I had planned on a much wider border originally. The backing is the same as the border fabric and there is a layer of quilt batting for the sandwich. This may be the last octagon I ever attempt. It's basically coaster size now and I rest my glasses on it when I take them off. The fabric is 36 ct Edinburgh Dirty Linen.<br />
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I recently discovered an adorable Italian designer who goes by the name of Cassandra FairyWool and sells her designs on Etsy in the <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/Fairywoolinthewood">"FairyWool in the Wood</a>" shop. Her designs are primitive style that show-off her quirky, humorous side. I fell in love with one of her recent designs called "Rabbit and Ghosts". The rabbit looks very much like her real-live pet rabbit. He's digging up carrots from the garden while ghost carrots are flying all around him. I stitched it up and made a pouch for my newest wooden hoop. It's stitched on 36 ct HDF linen. That's a little wooden heart button in the bottom right corner, added for symmetry.<br />
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The finishing urge struck me and I completed the final five (count 'em, 5!) pages of the Joyful World Calendar SAL. So all done now and nothing to do but wait for each month to 'turn the virtual pages'. Each used a different fabric, all from my stash. Here are the final five:</div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j4z5myWnWuU/WQEX_vA3yuI/AAAAAAAADUI/c4Ecmw3X8wgYo901VFxwLa3VfHF3LOuaQCEw/s1600/JoyfulSalAugustFinishFinish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="376" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j4z5myWnWuU/WQEX_vA3yuI/AAAAAAAADUI/c4Ecmw3X8wgYo901VFxwLa3VfHF3LOuaQCEw/s400/JoyfulSalAugustFinishFinish.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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And here are the ensemble photos:<br />
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<br />Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03509728430110361806noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5880541438695515690.post-46762312184112633742017-03-31T15:47:00.000-04:002017-03-31T15:47:21.349-04:00Hare's Coaster and Calendar SAL<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I had hoped to have at least one more finish before the end of March, but it was not meant to be. I have two completed stitched pieces that are sitting with all their finishing materials waiting for me to take time to pay some attention to them.<br />
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So to have something to show, I decided to do a quick finish of this cute design by Gaynor of <a href="http://stitchersanon.blogspot.com/">Stitcher's Anon</a> fame. This is a freebie design she offered to members of her <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/holmseyhare/">Holmsey Hare's Heaven Facebook Group</a>. I was just so taken with that ring of hares, that I felt compelled to stitch it. I had planned to make a pincushion, but the design fit so perfectly into one of these snap-in light weight coasters, that I couldn't resist such a quick finish. I wish these coasters were still available in U.S. stores, but it seems that you can only get them in the U.K. now. The original design used similar colors, but they weren't DMC so I just tried to match up DMC colors from the model. This is stitched on 36 count HDF linen.<br />
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Somewhere along the way, I managed to finish up two more of the Joyful World calendar pages. So I've got seven of them done now. This gives me hope that I might actually get to all twelve.<br />
My fabric trim for June really looks like an autumn fabric, but it seemed to go so well with the bear design that I used it early.<br />
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The sparkles in the border fabric for July kind of remind me of July 4th fireworks. I think the colors worked well for this one too.<br />
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I'm kind of amazed at how much fabric stash I have. I think I won't need to buy even one fat quarter for finishing these. And I'm excited that I can change out the March one on the fridge tomorrow to welcome in April!<br />
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<br />Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03509728430110361806noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5880541438695515690.post-87317001285851455842017-02-26T10:30:00.000-05:002017-02-26T10:30:19.360-05:00Clovers, Snowmen, Calendar SAL <br />
I don't usually do a St. Patrick's Day design, but something about Bent Creek's "Clover of Clovers" attracted me and I couldn't fight the feeling. It's stitched on 36 count "Peep's Lost Sheep" linen from Dames of the Needle. The trimming is a 3 strand braid of DMC floss. I bought this little gift box from the Paper Source (within walking distance of my home) and used the design as a box top. Then I added a bit of ribbon around the edge. I think I'll use it as candy box with mints and green-wrapped candy. I'll gift it to someone, just don't know who. Turns out to be a good way to make a quick little gift.<br />
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Missed doing any winter holiday cards in 2016, but for the few I send I had enough from previous years' stitching. To replenish the stock, I stitched The Little Stitcher snowman design from the JCS 2016 ornament issue. Tried something different with the finish, and I'm not particularly happy with the outcome. But it's all part of the process.<br />
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I'm ahead of the game for Joyful World calendar finishes (or 'pages' as <a href="http://madetotreasure.blogspot.com/">Nima </a>calls them). Two more done and fabric selected for the next two months waiting for the finishing mood to strike!<br />
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<br />Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03509728430110361806noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5880541438695515690.post-27360419806348504712017-01-30T11:05:00.000-05:002017-01-30T16:36:56.979-05:00Valentine and Birthday Cards<br />
Still doing very little crafting, but it's very satisfying when I manage to do it. I'm picking tiny charts so I have a chance of finishing them in some reasonable amount of time. I made this Valentine card from a Tra La La design. Such a sweet little cup of love. It's on 36 ct linen and I'm glad to know I can still do 18 stitches per inch!<br />
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I have been stitching a birthday card for my brother every year since as long as I can remember. I usually look for a theme that would be of interest or relevant to him. Kind of ran out of ideas this year, so I went with a generic birthday cake. Everybody loves cake, right!<br />
This was from a World of Cross Stitching freebie you can get <a href="http://www.cross-stitching.com/chart/free-dessert-chart">here</a>. I think the fabric is 32-count. I liked it because the white showed up so well.<br />
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Two more of the Snowflower Diaries Joyful World designs are now ready for display on the fridge.<br />
I panicked when I accidentally cut the sides without enough seam allowance. But sometimes recovery is where the fun is, and I managed to get it to work out with a little border fabric.<br />
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Took longer than I expected of course, but I still had the mojo to do March as well so I'm ahead of hte game. I must say that the grommet pliers are really working well after all these years.<br />
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<br />Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03509728430110361806noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5880541438695515690.post-76345151597994398302017-01-05T17:01:00.002-05:002017-01-05T17:01:34.211-05:00Completion of Joyful World SAL<br />
Happy New Year everyone. I've been somewhat under the weather for a while and it's hard to keep up my good humor. Haven't done much crafting or even novel reading for a while. But I did manage to finish up the Snowflower Diaries Joyful World SAL. I stitched December before November because I loved that design so much and thought I needed the motivation of a design I loved. But when I went back and did November, I fell in love with that one too.<br />
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Changed enough colors in each month to make good contrast and conform more to the original stitched by Maja with hand-dyed threads. And very happy that my eyes held up for the last 2 over-one months. Part of my health problem affects the eyes and that's been an additional issue.<br />
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Over the course of the SAL I had many ideas about how to use the stitching. In the end, I decided to do a relatively simple finish of each and I will only do one a month. I had an ancient grommet tool that I bought a thousand years ago to make a shower curtain. I never figured out how to use it and was about to give it away during year-end clean-out. Then I decided to give it one more try since I understood eyelets and grommets better now after making floss tags and luggage tags. Lo and behold, it worked! So I added a coordinating fabric border and backing to January and then added the two grommets. The piece is now hanging from two magnetic hooks on my fridge. I needed the larger grommet holes so they would fit on the hooks. I liked these hooks because they keep the piece flat against the fridge unlike the usual cup hooks.<br />
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<a href="http://www.staples.com/Staples-reg-Hook-Magnets-Black-Silver-White/product_922715">Click here </a>to see the hooks I'm using. I couldn't get a good photo in the kitchen.<br />
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<br />Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03509728430110361806noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5880541438695515690.post-45670864132830979332016-11-15T17:07:00.000-05:002016-11-15T17:07:06.651-05:00Burgundy Fetching Fingerless GlovesNot much crafting going on in these parts. Somehow there are too many other things to do and I'm exhausted by the time evening comes and my eyes don't want to do anymore close up work. Hoping this is a temporary lull, but we'll see. Maybe it's also due to the new Verizon Fios Triple-Play installation that has me playing with the TV more!<br />
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I did manage to knit a new pair of fingerless gloves from the <a href="http://knitty.com/ISSUEsummer06/PATTfetching.html">"Fetching"</a> pattern that I love. I thought I had lost my favorite purple pair, but I found them again after I was half-way through knitting. No problem... I can always use another pair. These are made from Paton's Classic wool in burgundy. A little snug, but they 'fit like a glove' as the saying goes. I'm sure they will stretch some as well. <br />
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The wristwatch does actually have a face and hands. The camera just couldn't see them.<br />
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<br />Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03509728430110361806noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5880541438695515690.post-84246663168752547482016-10-23T18:19:00.000-04:002016-10-23T18:19:00.233-04:00Cupcake card and SAL updateI don't know if you have ever searched for cupcake cross stitch patterns, but if you have then you know how popular this subject is. I had no idea how many designs were out there. I wanted to stitch one for a birthday card and found so many charts I didn't know how to pick one. The first one I tried just didn't work out.. way too much back-stitching to get the right effect and I gave up. I finally settled on this French pastry-style cupcake by Veronique Enginger. Some back-stitching, but just enough to enhance, not overwhelm. It came with two different suggested color palettes, and I used a combination of the two. I liked them both, but I thought this version would be best for the birthday girl. It's stitched over-two on Dames of the Needle 35-ct Peep's Lost Sheep linen. I wanted a darker background to make the icing pop. <br />
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There are just as many cupcake stickers for sale as cupcake x-stitch patterns, so I picked a few and found that cute cupcake ribbon as well. I think it all makes a pretty cool birthday card.<br />
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Here is my October installment in the Joyful World SAL. No changes to the suggested colors. Just a cute little hedgehog and his snail BFF. I might delay doing the November piece since I have the urge to knit a pair of fingerless gloves now that the weather has turned cooler.<br />
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<br />Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03509728430110361806noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5880541438695515690.post-18173035025700277052016-10-02T19:15:00.001-04:002016-10-02T19:15:55.685-04:00Hocus Pocus and Surprise GiftsTaking a break from over-one stitching, I worked up a little piece for a Halloween card on 28-ct Cornflower Blue Jobelan over 2. This design is from an old Shepherd's Bush freebie that is no longer free. If you buy the 'Scary Sunflower' button that is meant to go in the upper left corner, then you get the pattern too. I thought this pink button I had saved from an old sweater worked pretty well as a flower instead. Not as scary as some Halloween designs, but I'm hoping it might work some magic for a couple of friends that are in need of a little cheer right now.<br />
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I'm almost done with the October Joyful World piece, but I decided not to wait for the finish, and instead do this post so I could show the lovely gifts I got from my longtime blogging buddy, <a href="http://notesfromunderthemountain.blogspot.com/">Lee</a>. Lee had a giveaway for her recent blogaversary. I didn't win that, but she decided to reward me anyway for being a long time commenter. What a treasure trove of goodies she sent!<br />
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Lee has been working on woodland animal fobs this year and she sent me the most adorable owl. Her work is always just exquisite and this fob is hanging from a cabinet nob now. I just love it.<br />
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Next we have this assortment of charms and findings to use as embellishments. Can you see the cute mouse among all these toys? I actually thought it was a pig at first, but my eyes aren't what the used to be.<br />
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Still more... a lovely little notebook with a beautifully stitched floral cover, a vintage cookbook with designer recipes and charts, plus an owl-themed card. I feel completely spoiled. Thanks again, Lee.!<br />
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<br />Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03509728430110361806noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5880541438695515690.post-17573206139049140382016-09-13T15:33:00.000-04:002016-09-19T07:42:09.500-04:00Secret Lair and SAL updateMy eyes are just getting tired. I can't seem to stitch very long at one sitting before they rebel. Doesn't help that I'm at a computer screen for work all day and I've been very busy lately. But I finally have couple of things to show and you know how good you feel when you have a finish finish.<br />
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I figured I better get a leg up on Halloween since I'm stitching so slowly. I picked this Bent Creek "Secret Lair" design because that mad scientist is just so adorable, and the atom sign on the wall was so clever. Love his tennis shoes. I simplified some parts and made some color changes, but it's reasonably true to the original. The fabric was a clearance piece of 35 ct linen from 123 stitch. I had wanted to try Dames of the Needle linen, and this sale was a good opportunity. It's a little stiff, but not bad after you stitch with it a while. It definitely grew on me. And I love the color, including the color name, "Peep's Lost Sheep". I wasn't in the mood for getting very fancy with card making so the design will have to speak for itself.<br />
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And once again I got in under the wire to finish the September installment of the Joyful World SAL just before October gets released. This was not one of my favorites, but now that I look at those two funky owls, I like it more than I realized at first. I kept counting wrong and was in no mood for frogging either so there are a number of, shall we say, "adjustments" to the design. Just hoping my eyes hold on for the last three installments to this SAL.<br />
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<br />Anniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03509728430110361806noreply@blogger.com17